The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-03-19

began fidgeting about, and at length go
up and paced the room. Suddenly turn
ing to Mr.. Browne, he said "Compara
tive stranger as you are to me, l feel as i
l must tell you the nature of the busines
which is calling me to London so unex
pectedly The blow has fallen so suddenly
that to speak of it would be an immens,
relief"
The stranger was all sympathetic atten
tion in moment.
aMr Browne" continued the Major ex
citedly, "this time yesterday believed that
poor girl up stairs to be the mistress of 8
fairly large fortune. To-day-if the infor
nation / received this morning is correct
Il know her to be penniless. And that
is not all; the greater part, if not the
whole, of my income is lost also"
So sympathetic was Mr.. Browne that he
begged to know all the details. These,
however, the Major was unable to furnish
lin factr us could explain nothing salts
Carroll county b,eat was the state of excite
ernor sad didn47h he had worked himself
HdthE dhsEr. tsd he said, as he heard Maude
approaching. eNot word to her. |
wouldn't disturb her peace of mind for
worlds, poor girl, until / am certain how
the matter stands"
The next day, about an hour after her
uncle had left for London, Maude received
the following pencilled note from Mr..
Browne:
My Own Darling,-l am the most un-
lucky dog that ever lived. | passed a
wretched night, and this morning | am too
i'll to leave my bed. To be disabled to-
day, when | was to have arranged for the
event which is to make me the happlest
man IN England. l nave sent 1or the VII
lage 'bones, and II he can patch me up 1t
may not yet be too late; Send book
back by bearer to account Tor having recelv-
ed letter from your nearly frantic.
JACK.
Poor Maude The torturln1g suspense
OF that day In the evening she ventured
to ask the landlady to inquire how MIR.
Browne was. ''No better, was the alarm
ing reply.
Maude passed a sleepless night. In the
morning she received a second note from
her dear Jack, even more despairing in its
tone than the former one. 1Fate is against
us, he wrote; Il feel as if L shall never be
able to call you mine"
In the middle of the day she again sent
to inquire after her lover, and was over
joyed when she heard he was much better,
and was even thinking of getting up, his
recovery bidding fair to be as sudden as his
seizure.
That evening Major Henderson return
ed. Hardly had he knocked at the door,
when Mr. Browne emerged IRON the oppo'
site cottage.
"What news, sir?" asked the sympa-
thetic Mr. Browne.
"Ine worst posslDie, repiieu tne MaJor,
throwing himself into an easy chalr & ano
covering his face with his hands, Iha'
poor glrl yonder IS beggar, and have
but hundred year lett.
Maude looked from one to the other In
utter bewildermeut, and then crossed oveI
to her uncle, trying to comfort him and
gam some 9HPiana'lon az Ine same ume.
ieei 'nis y uG soene iOi ,,a. s'ians1l y :.
witness, shu Mr, Dro"ne; olr' you laVt
my deepest sympathy, aud l am sure tha'
at the present moment ! can show = In f no
t'ei ter va han By wftndfHwfng
"Maude followed her lover 70 the door
She was much distressed on her uncles ac
count, but did not Iuliy realize her OWL
loss of fortune.
Are you really better dear JackF she
asked anxiously'
I es, thank you. Quite cured. food
bye, and he was gone.
That her lovers leave-taking was little
abrupt did strike Maude; she was, how
ever, far too confused by the turn affairs
had taken to attach much importance to the
first circumstance.
When she returned to her uncle he
seemed wonderfully better, and at supper
he talked quite cheertully OF their future
Maude passed another sieepiess nignt
She did not SO mucn mlnd the terrible ioss
she had sustained on ner own account pu'
she was bitterly disappointed tnat sne could
not do all she had promised for her dear
Jack. She determined, however, to be the
most loving and economical wife possible.
At all events her uncle would not be able
to accuse Jack of being mercenary now,
and there was much comfort in that re-
Election. Perhaps after all they would be
able to have proper wedding, only of
course it would have to be very quiet one.
How much nicer that would be than run
ming away and deceiving her uncle, who
had always been SO kind to her.
When she came down to breakfast the
next morning she was looking pale and a
little worn after her two sleepless nights.
The Major, however, seemed to have. sue
ceeded in throwing off his grief in quite a
wonderful manner, and was in almost his
usual spirits.
aHave von heard how Mr. Browne Is
this mornineP" Maude yentured to ask
tbe landlady's dauohter
aWby. Miss. he paid up for the week
and went off by the mail train last night,
declaring he was sure the place didn't suit
him."
Poor Maude! The blow did indeed fall
on her with crushing force.